Korean for Intermediate Learners: Reporting a Theft to the Police
Learn to say 'My wallet was stolen' in Korean, describe what happened, and file a police report using polite, situation-appropriate language.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
If your wallet is stolen in Korea, you will need to file a police report, called a 신고 (sin-go). This lesson gives you the exact intermediate-level Korean to state what was stolen, where it happened, and when, then answer the officer's questions. You will practice the passive form 도난당하다 (do-nan-dang-ha-da, 'to be stolen'), the past tense, and polite request forms such as 신고하고 싶습니다 (sin-go-ha-go sip-seum-ni-da, 'I would like to file a report'). The goal is not fluency, but the ability to communicate the facts clearly and calmly.
By the end, you can…
- state that my wallet was stolen using 도난당했어요.
- file a police report with 신고하고 싶습니다.
- give the location and approximate time of the theft.
- answer basic follow-up questions about what was inside.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
지갑을 도난당했어요.
My wallet was stolen.
ji-ga-beul do-nan-dang-hae-sseo-yo
The core sentence of this lesson. 도난당하다 is a passive verb meaning 'to be stolen'; use it when you are the victim. Note that the stolen item takes 이/가 as the subject in careful usage: 지갑이 도난당했어요.
경찰에 신고하고 싶습니다.
I would like to file a police report.
gyeong-chal-e sin-go-ha-go sip-seum-ni-da
Use at a police station or when calling 112. The -고 싶습니다 ending is polite and formal, suitable for officials.
어제 오후에 지하철에서 도난당했어요.
It was stolen on the subway yesterday afternoon.
eo-je o-hu-e ji-ha-cheol-e-seo do-nan-dang-hae-sseo-yo
Combine time + place + 에서 (from/at) + passive verb. 에서 marks the location where the action happened.
지갑 안에 신분증과 카드가 있었어요.
There was an ID card and cards in the wallet.
ji-gap an-e sin-bun-jeung-gwa ka-deu-ga i-sseo-sseo-yo
Use 있었어요 (past tense of 있다) to list what was inside. This helps the police describe the loss.
신고서를 작성해 주시겠어요?
Could you help me fill out the report form?
sin-go-seo-reul jak-seong-hae ju-si-get-eo-yo
A polite request using -아/어 주시겠어요. Use it when you need assistance with paperwork.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The passive pattern -당하다 (dang-ha-da) attaches to nouns to mean 'to suffer/be subjected to.' For theft, 도난 (do-nan) + 당하다 gives 도난당하다, 'to be stolen.' Conjugate it in the past polite form: 도난당했어요 (do-nan-dang-hae-sseo-yo). Compare with the active verb 훔치다 (hum-chi-da, 'to steal'): 누군가 제 지갑을 훔쳤어요 (nu-gun-ga je ji-ga-beul hum-chyeo-sseo-yo, 'Someone stole my wallet'). The passive version focuses on your loss; the active version names a thief. In careful usage the stolen item is the subject with 이/가: 지갑이 도난당했어요. In everyday speech many Koreans also say 지갑을 도난당했어요, treating it like an active verb, but 이/가 is the standard form in a report.
When to use it
Use 신고하고 싶습니다 when you first approach an officer or call 112. It is more formal than 신고하고 싶어요, which is fine with friends but less appropriate for police. After stating the main fact, add details with -에서 for location and time words like 어제 (eo-je, yesterday) or 오늘 아침 (o-neul a-chim, this morning). For example: 오늘 아침에 버스에서 도난당했어요 (o-neul a-chim-e beo-seu-e-seo do-nan-dang-hae-sseo-yo, 'It was stolen on the bus this morning'). If you do not know the exact time, say 정확한 시간은 모르겠어요 (jeong-hwak-han si-gan-eun mo-reu-get-eo-yo, 'I don't know the exact time').
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
안녕하세요. 지갑을 도난당해서 신고하고 싶습니다.
Hello. My wallet was stolen, so I would like to file a report.an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. ji-ga-beul do-nan-dang-hae-seo sin-go-ha-go sip-seum-ni-da.네, 언제 어디서 도난당하셨어요?
Yes, when and where was it stolen?ne, eon-je eo-di-seo do-nan-dang-ha-syeo-sseo-yo?어제 오후 3시쯤 지하철 2호선에서 도난당했어요.
It was stolen yesterday around 3 p.m. on Subway Line 2.eo-je o-hu se-si-jjeum ji-ha-cheol i-ho-seon-e-seo do-nan-dang-hae-sseo-yo.알겠습니다. 지갑 안에 무엇이 있었는지 말씀해 주세요.
Understood. Please tell me what was inside the wallet.al-get-seum-ni-da. ji-gap an-e mu-eo-si i-sseot-neun-ji mal-sseum-hae ju-se-yo.A little context goes a long way
Korean police stations have a 신고 접수 (sin-go jeop-su, report reception) desk. Speaking calmly and using polite formal endings (-습니다/-ㅂ니다) makes a good impression. You may be asked for your alien registration card or passport; carry identification. If you cannot speak Korean well, you can request an interpreter, but trying basic phrases shows respect and speeds up the process.
One thing to watch for
Using 도난당했어요 with a person as the subject, as in 저는 도난당했어요, which sounds like 'I was stolen.'
Try this instead: The thing stolen is the subject: 지갑이 도난당했어요 (ji-ga-bi do-nan-dang-hae-sseo-yo, 'The wallet was stolen'). If you want to say 'I was robbed,' use 강도를 당했어요 (gang-do-reul dang-hae-sseo-yo, 'I was robbed').
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'My wallet was stolen' in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
지갑을 도난당했어요.
In careful usage the stolen item is the subject with 이: 지갑이 도난당했어요. In everyday speech many Koreans also say 지갑을 도난당했어요, treating 도난당하다 like an active verb, but 이 is the standard form in a report.
2You want to file a report at the police station. What sentence do you use?
Show a sample answer
경찰에 신고하고 싶습니다.
This uses the formal -고 싶습니다 ending, appropriate for officials. A slightly less formal alternative is 경찰에 신고하고 싶어요, but it is better with friends than with police.
3How do you say 'It was stolen on the subway yesterday afternoon'?
Show a sample answer
어제 오후에 지하철에서 도난당했어요.
Time comes first, then place with 에서, then the passive past verb. You could also say 어제 오후 지하철에서 도난당했어요; both are correct.
State the loss with 지갑을 도난당했어요, then file the report with 신고하고 싶습니다. Add time and place with 에 and 에서, and stay polite and calm.
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